'Mai Pen Rai' more water can be added?
Last weekend we sat with bated breath and clenched buttocks waiting to see what was to come, in our beloved Thailand.
Doomsday scenarios and dark clouds gathered over Bangkok. With images of Ayutthaya still fresh in their minds, everyone was prepared for the worst. As early as Sunday afternoon, Thai government officials and politicians rushed to report that Bangkok had survived the battle with the water.
Yingluck was spotted at the mighty river that crosses Bangkok. The cameras zoomed in on an armada of more than 1.000 boats on the Chao Praya River, battling the ferocious water monster. With roaring engines, the flood water would be pushed towards the Gulf of Thailand. It was certainly an impressive sight.
Well, I'm no expert on this subject, but this seemed more like a publicity stunt than a well-thought-out and effective action. What is the next step? Maybe 500.000 Thai, pushing the water towards the sea with paddles and boards? Or have a million Thai stray dogs tread water in the Chao Praya to speed up the current? You could smile if it wasn't all so sad.
The relieved cries about Bangkok are silenced by the harsh reality. Reports of dike breaches and industrial sites that are flooded follow one another. Why safe? We therefore ignore the soothing words of Thai 'experts'. After all, the always so friendly 'Mai Pen Rai' mentality becomes very annoying when your own house, including fireplace, has been washed away towards the open sea.
I don't dare to speculate about the coming weeks and months. Like, who will pay for that, sweet sweet Gerritje? Apart from the material and immaterial damage, there is also a huge environmental disaster. Many chemical bombs were undoubtedly stored on all those flooded factory sites. Environmental regulations are difficult to enforce in a country where only one rule applies: there are no rules. Of course, that's the charm of Thailand. Unfortunately, the situation is less charming now.
It is shocking to see vultures trying to cash in on this disaster by raising the prices of sandbags, water and food. For example, there are already employers who are seizing this flood disaster to get the minimum wage increase off the table. Thailand at its narrowest.
What now? The next week will be exciting. We stand by and watch it. It is now a matter of requesting Buddha to ask the weather gods to help us, because there really is no more water.
For hundreds of thousands of Thais, it seems a hopeless situation. All they can do is wait. If you survive this disaster, you will find devastated chaos at home. Many factory workers will not have money to repair the damage. After all, thousands of workers will lose their jobs because the factories are flooded.
Things have not been going well for the Thai lately and that is an understatement.
Dear Peter, How sad to see that great holiday country Thailand now has so many problems with the water. I hope everyone finds ways to get back on their feet and carry on. I myself will leave for Thailand on Thursday, if all is well, and this time for the first time with my parents. They are not world travelers and after much insistence they wanted to come along. No surprise that they are now in great tension. Unfortunately, you don't know exactly what news to believe, mainly because every "important" person shouts something different. Hopefully the problems will be over soon and Thailand will learn something this time and they will finally tackle the recurring water problems
Stefan , I will also leave for Thailand next Thursday , and fly with China Airlines , and after arriving in Bangkok I will fly straight to Chiang Mai .
I remain optimistic about that process, but I am still unsure whether or not to cancel a number of hotel nights at the end of my trip in Bangkok.
KhunPeter's piece about Mai Pen Rai is exactly how I feel about it, unfortunately how the Thai government deals with such matters is much different from our Western mentality and behavior. Filling the well if the calf has drowned . All ministers in Thailand have their say , independently of each other and therefore contradictory .
Thailand is a beautiful country but unfortunately there is a huge pickpocket mentality. It's no different, I keep coming.......
Pump or drown,
good Dutch pronunciation when it comes to use.
The good old days there,
The high water level than the storm,
the waxing ty,
The dyk guard was concerned and saw that the dyk couldn't handle it
He rang the bells and each rushed to the dyke,
save what was so precious in the polders,
But Pieter did not show up, he had not heard the clock
slept wonderfully in his warm bed.
he was judged and condemned.
he had to go into the cellar to learn once and for all to also have one
contribute to preserve the dyk
The basement into which he was brought contains 2 partitioned rooms
at least 2 m. high 1 room full of water the other where Pieter stood dry
a pump was pressed into his hand and the lock opened slowly
and Pieter got wet feet now he started to wake up and here the
moral P…. or V…..n.
Gr. yo.